The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-20
How the Ey-Warden and His Fellows
Have Hitherto Averted Exposure.
Large Sums of Money Spent in Entertaining
Legislative Committees and in Showing
Them the Sights" of Louisville.
COnvicts Plundered by Minor Officers
and Attaches of the Penitentiary.
Towards Shortage May Reach 100000 When
Returns Are All ln-The Committee Trying
to Find Out What Became of the Money.
Epecial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
JEFrERsoxvILLE, Feb. l9-When the Senate |
prison committee made its somewhat startling |
report Monday last, the first paragraph was de- |
voted to slight reference to the investigators.
It was represented that tho committee worked
industriousy Thursday and Friday and on the
last day until IL o'clock in the evening There
did not appear between the lines any cause for
this bit of self praise unless it to soften the
harsh judgment that party associates were COM
PEELED to pass upon the Democratic management
OF the southern penitentiary. 1t does not seem
strange, though, that the committee wanted to
record this plea for favor when the incidents
that led up to a compulsory investigation are
recited. 1t is known that when
the committee first reached Jacksonville
Warden Howard, according. TO custom,
first reached the committee. While there have
been damaging rumors concerning the prison
management for years past, it was never thor
oughly understood, or, rather. appreciated until
within the past few days how the warden could
remain go long under cloud without formal
exposure Reports on this prison have been sue
cessively padded with phrases that would let
Howard down easily. A legislative committee
would leave Indianapolis ostensibly for the
prison. but really for frolc in Louisville under
the guidance Of the warden. Trusted bench
men of his, fancy guards higher attaches of
the institution, would waylay the committee
until Howard could get to it,
unless he happened to be on the
lookout himself In carriages. no
ordinary livery hire, the investigators would be
conveyed across the river aud offered the temp
tations of bagnios, highclassed wines and
whiskies 1t was Towards opinion that nothing
was too good for the men who came down to in
spect his management. The committees invari-
ably got hooked with the society of scarlet
women, and allowed their brains to become fud-
died in trusting the good fellowship of Jack
Howard. sequence occurred in either falsely
Iaudatory or non com initial reports.
The Senate comr1ittee down here last week
was more circumspect. but in legitimate ways it
could notresist the Establishments of the warden.
He showed them all the courtesies that his view
of enjoyment would suggest, and yet it is be-
leved that while temptation of the unsuccessful
kind was valiantly resisted, the committee, after
a stay of thirty six hours or less, concluded to
whitewash Jack Howard once more. The war
denis evil genius, something of that sort,
suggested to two of the committee, Senators
Trppett and Duncan. of Upton, that the work
was but half done. The committee remained,
and for reasons best known to it's members.
changed the character of its report While it
was severe there could not be lost in the
fully worded detailment of fact the belief that
the Democratic majority Of the committee
would have strained point or Two in Towards
favor. That committee rested its local invest-
cation two days stay, the greater part of the
time being spent in Louisville or Jacksonville,
subject TO the attentions of Warden Howard
Two of them for time fortunately escaped his
surveillance, and hence the exposure that has ex-
cited the State. When the House committee
came here Howard and his staff of entertainers
were on hard with generous hospitality. Re-
nlarkable as it may seem, the committee agreed
to content itself with the unpretentious comforts
of Jeffersonvle hotel rather than lose itself in
the Injuries of Louisville houses. 1t went to
work Immediately with a probing iron and
has brought forth astounding facts that only
waited the energy and diligence of preceding
committees to be uncovered The remark that
Representative Patton made to an nquring gen.
tleman this morning emphasizes suggestiveness,
in regard to the condition Of the prison. Said
the gentleman: "Have you found affairs at the
penitentiary as bad as they are represented
Worse, much worse" replied Representative
Patton. 'We could continue the investigation
for days and then not reach the bottom" Pecu-
lation from the highest officer to the low grade
servant and even trusty convicts has been the
rule. 1t was carried on from a few cents month.
ly in the manner Of illegtimate perquisities ia
many dollars AS instance. not few OF
the convcts are government pensioners
When their checks in payment came
to the prison, some one Of the lower class off
Gals would deduct a percentage from 70 cents
to SO or 81 according to the amount Of the
check 1t is thought that much of the missing
visitors fund has been manipulated in this
manner by nearly every low-grade officer o,
attache about the prison having hand in it.
The Senate committee reported that it found
about $3.50 only of some 81, 700 belonging to
this fund collected during the last year II
ought to have been applied to the purchase oil
books for the library. butnot cent, it is shown
has gone that way Nobody knows where the
money went to, but it is asserted by those
competent to judge that the amount repre-
sented as collected from visitors is underesti
mated. The warden and the officers
who favor him say that the visitors
do not average more than fifteen or twenty pc,
day. Others conversant with the prison and it.
affairs state positively that the average is no
below fifty. and that the receipts from visitor.
ought to show yearly aggregates of between
$1,000 and $4,000.
Howard is short large amount, and tn,
further John W. Coons, the committees expert
goes into the books tho more the aggregate
grows. 1t may reach $4,000 for at every tur,
in the partial record of expenditures and dis
bursements appears something no one can ex